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Democrats sitting on the U.S. Senate have introduced a trillion dollar spending bill aimed to take the federal government through the next fiscal year. Republicans have voiced their opposition to the bill and are gearing up to defeat it. Some Senate republicans, like Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), are already working to defeat it. With the political affiliation changes in the house and senate, it appears that no matter what bill is introduced by either party, strong opposition will be met.

The Democrats believe that the spending bill is a better option than any improvised spending that is approved as necessary throughout the year. Having a planned budget will allow government officials to spend more efficiently while still having a supply of funds readily available should an unexpected situation arise. Although, many of the funds proposed in the bill would be earmarked for specific projects.

Republicans will likely scuttle progress on this bill as long as possible with intentions of pushing temporary spending budgets until they hold the majority of seats in the House and several additional seats in the Senate at the early part of next year. That way they will have more power to turn down the bill and deter any earmarked spending that they oppose and intend to ban for the next 2 years.

With the quick movement of the President’s pen, the dream of health care for every American became a reality.

It was a historical day in Washington on Tuesday when President Obama and other politicians came together to see what was thought of to be an impossibility just two months ago – the signing of the health care reform into law. President Obama, Vice President Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and other prominent guests stood back and watched as President Obama signed the landmark bill into law thus ending a long drawn out political battle that had been waging in Congress for over a year. The historical health care bill will bring near universal health care to millions of Americans who go without insurance, but also stands as the biggest domestic change in U.S. policy since the inception of Medicare back in the 1960s.

The bill will cover up to 95 percent of Americans compared to the 83 percent that are currently covered now while also making it a law that everyone in the country have some sort of medical coverage. This is done by making employers put their workers under health care coverage while also eventually giving the option to citizens to buy their own health care or be covered under a government health care option. Most of the bill’s provisions, however, will not be immediate. In fact, most will not go into effect until 2014. Yet, the expanding of Medicare and allowing young people to stay on their parent’s insurance until the age of 26 could happen as soon as this upcoming fall.

On the campaign trail, President Obama made a promise of an America in which every citizen would not have to worry about health care. This was something that many felt was an impossible goal, but after yesterday the President followed through on that promise with nothing more than a quick movement of a pen and his signature.

The Democratic Party took a big blow when Republican Dan Brown won office in a special election in Massachusetts. Not only was the senate seat he won in a fundamentally well known blue state but the seat belonged to the late Ted Kennedy who stood as a leader of the democratic party for over 30 years. This loss in Massachusetts set a frightening precedent for Democrats and these could be times for the Democratic party to panic in fears that their agenda, along with mid-term elections, will go against them. However, President Obama told his fellow democrats on Wednesday that this is not the time to panic, this is the time to lead.

President Obama spoke with fellow Democratic leaders and pleaded with them to make this the time in which they become leaders saying that, if there is anything to learn from the special elections in Massachusetts, it’s not to sit around and do nothing. He also went on to say that politicians that work hard for their voters will win future mid-term elections and, if they do the right thing, that is who/what individuals will vote for. He said that this is the time for the party to focus in on being more public with their business, avoid cable news stations that help turn the tide against them and call out Republicans when the time is right.

It would be easy for anyone holding public office to get bogged down by bad politics, but now is the time when citizens need leaders the most. This is the message that President Obama is trying to convey to his party. In times of trouble it would be easy to back away from the problems that need solutions or, better yet, point fingers at who’s to blame. However, President Obama expects more of himself and more of his party supporting the notion that this is not the time for lukewarm politicians. Instead, this is a time for leaders.

Colony Capital, owned by Trump adviser Thomas J. Barrack Jr., has agreed to bail out Harvey Weinstein's company, providing an immediate cash infusion and then buying most if not all of the assets. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

In September, the Washington Post reported that the RNC was paying out huge bucks for legal fees charged by lawyers for Donald Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. regarding Russia. The Republican National Committee is using a pool of money stockpiled for... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

I was just reading about the really high prices of Manhattan luxury condos, when I came upon this article in Curbed saying that a 90 story skyscraper is coming to Denver that will change the skyline forever. Then I saw the address: the building is... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Update 11 pm MT: Answer: Yes, foreign ISIS fighters are part of the agreement and will be able to leave Raqqa. Again, as stated below, the U.S. opposed this, preferring the foreign fighters be held accountable for their crimes. Syrian and foreign... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Here is the interview with the Sheriff today from Las Vegas on the Mandalay Bay shootings. He sounds defensive and nervous -- his voice is shaky. At the end, after reading accounts from victims, he begins to tremble, an associate puts his hand... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

AG Sessions wants Congress to tighten asylum rules. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called on Congress Thursday to tighten the rules for people seeking asylum through a system he said is filled with “rampant abuse and fraud.” ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Donald Trump signed an executive order today undermining rules insurance companies were required to follow by law. President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday intended to allow small businesses and potentially individuals to buy a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

With the disastrous fires and high winds occurring this week in California, you don't need a calendar to know it's October -- season of the Santa Ana winds. I've been writing about them here for 10 years. From my post in 2007: The... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Here is the video of the Sunday night red carpet interview of Donna Karan about Harvey Weinstein. Karan says her remarks about Weinstein and women's accountability for how they present themselves were taken out of context. Twitter is filled... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]